You're Cleaning All Wrong (and I was, too)

So, here were my problems:

I have really sensitive skin, and every time I grabbed a Lysol wipe for a quick countertop wipe down or to clean the bathroom counters, my hands got so dry. And itchy. And they hurt. And they were dry. My skin hates chemicals. I've always been sensitive, but I like things to actually be clean, too. 

I've tried all the natural cleaners. They still irritate me. Enter no cleaners. 

So my friend Sarah introduced me to Norwex and these awesome microfiber cloths. You can use them with water-only for all kinds of cleaning. That top pink one - it's for windows. It works really well on Gemma's slobber all over the front windows. (She's our dog, if you were wondering). And she likes to sit at the front of our house hunting squirrels through the window. It makes my windows disgusting, and today she broke my favorite Ikea lamp when a cat crossed into our yard. Such is life with a dog. 

I use the gray cloths in the kitchen. But what really has me excited is that light green cloth that says "body" on it. I have a closeup to show you the difference between the two body cloths. The green one on the left is a make-up remover cloth and I'm completely obsessed. The other is more like a regular washcloth, except really soft.

Back to the makeup remover cloth though. All you have to do is make it damp and it wipes away every trace of makeup. No buying tons of makeup removing wipes, no chemical removers (that wreak havoc on my skin like everything else). Also, it's super easy to travel with. I threw it in my cosmetic bag for our Disney trip and it saved me from having to pack liquid makeup remover and cotton balls. I love simplifying.

It works really, really well. I use it to remove waterproof eyeliner every day and it comes off really easily. I use the Urban Decay Ink for Eyes waterproof eyeliner, and if you've ever tried it, you know that stuff does. not. budge.

If you're not into using harsh chemicals, and if you happen to have sensitive skin like me, Norwex is definitely worth trying. Two birds, one stone, if we want to get cliche about it. If you're interested, head to my friend Sarah's website or visit her Facebook page and ask for help. She knows cleaning and she knows natural living, too, which makes me wish I could put all the heart emojis right here. (use your imagination)

5 Reasons to Try Atlas Coffee Club

Note: I was provided a bag of  coffee from Atlas Coffee Club in exchange for my honest review. As always, these are my own opinions. If I didn't like something, I wouldn't take time out of my day to write about it. I'm not into wasting my time or yours.

You know when you wake up and you just know it's going to be a good day? You can feel it deep down in every fiber? That's how I feel when I know I have delicious coffee ready to brew. Likewise, a cup of bad coffee can ruin a day like nothing else. All the worst days start with bad coffee, or what I call water-coffee. Like cheap hotel coffee brewed with chlorine laden water. Yuck.

Now where was I going with that?

Right! To remind you of all the reasons you need to step up your coffee game. Good coffee = good days. Life is too short to drink bad coffee. I have mentioned maybe half a dozen times here that I really want to live in a tiny house on the side of a mountain. I really don't need to own anything except a French press and a stockpile of dark roast coffee. It's the little things that really matter.

So why Atlas Coffee Club?

1. It comes to your door. No forgetting to grab (bad) coffee at the grocery store.

2. No taking extra time (and money) out of your day to stop for coffee on the way to work.

3. It's delicious. Like, really good.

4. It's not one of those hit or miss subscriptions. The Atlas subscription provides coffee that is its own brand. You know what you're getting. Not that I'm naming any names, but it's unlike those beauty box subscriptions that give you Chanel quality one month, and CVS the next, all for the same lovely price. With Atlas, you know you're getting great coffee every time.

5. Variety. With 12 different varieties (three of which are subscription exclusive), you have plenty of options without having the same thing every single morning.

Although, I have to say I could definitely go with the Midnight Blend every morning. Don't be fooled--this isn't decaf. It's a dark roast with dark chocolate and caramel notes, which can be confirmed if you grab a magnifying glass and look at the yellow part of the label below. (Or you can be totally non-hipster about it and just zoom in with your computer.)

Tom has recently gotten into brewing his own beer and we're going to use this blend for a coffee stout. I see delicious things in our future. Have you tried it? Get it here. Or follow them on Instagram, it's a particularly good account.

Family Night In and What You Should Be Watching On Netflix

This post is part of a year-long partnership with the Netflix #StreamTeam

So what's a family night-in look like in your house? At our house it usually involves some couch-cuddling, fleece blankets, popcorn with Kerrygold butter + salt, and something all three of us can watch. Usually we all pile on one couch (plus Gemma on someone's lap) even though we have two in our living room.  Delicious beverages are included, obviously. Meaning, a good local craft beer for Tom and I (usually something from either Tree House, Iron Duke, Trillium, or Night Shift), and some hot chocolate or Naked Green Machine juice for Carter. It's his fave.  Carter's Favorite Chocolate Milk Recipe:

• 1-2 T Native Forest Coconut Milk (the full fat kind)
• 1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 T Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder
• Maple Syrup

Heat it on the stove or in the microwave, then throw it in the blender. Delicious.

So here's what's on our list for some future nights in at our house:
1. Fuller House Why: If you have any respect for the 90s, you'll watch it as a moral obligation. Quite honestly, I have not had the time yet since starting a new job at the end of January (!), but it's on my mental "to-watch" list. I don't have high hopes for it (did I say that?) but it's just one of those things where you have to give it a chance, if only for your six-year-old self.  How Rude. You got it dude. Cut it out. (Had to get all that out at once.)
2. Grace and Frankie Why: So unique. Season 2 is released Friday, April 15, so you'll want to be all caught up in time for that. It's definitely not a show where you feel like, haven't I watch this 15 times before?
The characters are all the age of your grandparents, which is a nice change from the main character 20-somethings in every show ever.
3. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Why: It's hilarious. Do you need another reason? 
*     *     *     *     *    
And now a not-so-subtle segue into life happenings.
I got a new job as an inbound marketing consultant. It's been a great transition and I'm very excited about it. I'm still working from home, which is and always has been a priority for me. It just suits my personality. You're either someone who can work remotely and ignore your dishes and laundry all day, or you aren't (and if that's the case, I don't really understand you as a person.) 
Carter is going to be 5 in a couple months, which I can't even comprehend. He's hilarious and he still has a fantastic sense of style. Or maybe I'm just good at pushing it onto him? Either way, he has strong opinions about what he wears. It took us a good two months of wearing too-small sneakers for him to decide on a pair. They had to be all green. We spent a good five times scrolling through Zappos, but none were up to par. There was always a stray black sole or white Nike swoosh to be found. Enter the lime green (called safety yellow--but we'll go with it) sneakers from Gap. Finally his toes have a little wiggle room.

We're going to Disney at the beginning of May and I can't wait for it. Fort Wilderness cabins, here we come! The magic bands have been chosen, the stroller is rented, everything is good to go. The planning has been much less stressful this year than last (which was our first time doing Disney). It really takes a while to get a feel for how everything works. I had a near panic attack last year while planning fast passes (don't judge), but now I can't wait for it. In particular, we're looking forward to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Splash Mountain, and Tower of Terror. 
Carter's cousins are going too and I see a super-fun time for all of us with zero sleep and too much salty Disney popcorn. Bring it on!

Free Jewelry, Because I Love You

Let's have a little Q&A today, shall we?

Me: Do you like jewelry?
You: Yes, duh.

Me: Do you get sick of wearing the same jewelry after a week or two?
You: Yes, duh.

Solution: RocksBox

Sign up to get 1 month of free jewelry to wear, and send it back (also free) when you're sick of it.
Use code: positivelyamyxoxo

I'm loving mine. On an unrelated note, I also love my Los Gatos Patagonia vest (also pictured). I don't take it off. Ever. Ask Tom.

Enjoy the rest of your day. Think happy thoughts. Work hard. Say hi to me on Twitter.
Or don't do any of these things. It's up to you.

Thought for the Day

5 of My Favorite Podcasts

Who here listens to podcasts? I just love them. I'm definitely part auditory learner and part visual, so I love using time in the car, times when I'm doing simple tasks on the computer, or those minutes (hours) when I can't fall asleep at night to learn something new or to just simply clear my mind from my daily to-do lists.

(any of these can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, the podcast app on your iPhone/iPad, but I'll link to the sites for them)

1. My first favorite is definitely Serial. I'm sure lots of you have listened to this already. I just think the producers of Serial are SUCH great story tellers. I couldn't tear myself away from the first season, and started listening to episode after episode of the podcast "Undisclosed" just for more in-depth info on the case. I won't say anything in case you're new to it, but I want to! Now, on the second season, I am immediately sucked into a story I didn't think I'd be that into. I read a bit about Bowe Bergdahl on the news, but never was overly drawn in. I think because based on anything I read in the news, I couldn't really tell if only one side was being reported, etc, so I kind of just blocked it out because, what do I know about POWs and deserters? Nothing. That's what I love about Serial though. The way they explain foreign topics so seamlessly and make it insanely interesting at the same time. Like the way they interview people from all sides, involved in every which way. It's so cool.

2. This is kind of a random one (for me), but I really like The Art of Charm. It's definitely geared toward men, but I find a lot of the business focused podcasts to be full of useful information, and they get to the point quickly. They also interview some really interesting people and I love when I've listened to or watched a TED talk and then they interview the same person. Like Scott Dinsmore. I watched his Ted Talk on finding your passions and then, wouldn't you know, he showed up on The Art of Charm. Worlds colliding! Love it.

3. Primal Potential. I like Elizabeth's "no nonsense" attitude and her straight talk about healthy eating. I also love her focus on creating healthy habits and completely abandoning anything resembling a diet. It's been a go-to for me for a while (even especially on days when I eat Ben & Jerry's and don't feel bad about it).

4. "Stuff You Missed in History Class"--so I missed a lot in history class. The only reason I got good grades in history throughout high school were because I could whip out a 12 pager on Teddy Roosevelt like nobody's business. Did I pay attention in class? Nope. Did I think history was relevant? No way. Did I secretly paint my nails under my desk? You betcha. Luckily test grades were not all that mattered. Thank God for papers and homework assignments. Who ever thought I'd say that?

Anyway, in college I took a history class my freshman year and this was the turning point regarding my feelings toward history. I had the greatest professor who looked like he had just jumped out of a safari five minutes ago and he could tell a story about Alexander Great like it was the next blockbuster. See, my thing is storytelling. If you can't turn history into a good story, how am I supposed to find value in it? Names and dates are meaningless to me without a good tale to back it up. So in this class, I learned all the things (since in all years prior to my 19th year of life I had ignored all that was thrust upon me). So now I'm playing catch up and I just can't get enough of Holly and Tracy. They're my favorite. They're just so into it, all the time. And somehow they make shows about ax murders a little...giggle worthy? Is that okay? If you have ever uttered the phrase "history is in the past," this one's for you.

5. The Moth. This is another story-telling one, go figure. This one was a recommendation from my sister-in-law and I love it. It's like slam poetry, but it's slam stories. People memorize five minute stories and perform them at a story slam. These stories are all true and from their own experiences. It makes me nervous just to think about it. I really want to go to one! Not putting my name in the hat though. Sorry.

Which podcasts are your favorite?

I Love Talking Babies

This post is brought to you by Sam's Club and the #SamsClubBaby. I personally, really like this video. Haha!

Who doesn't like a good talking baby ad? Needed to share this because I could watch it all day. Oh, Sam's Club, great job. If you need a laugh, get to watching. That's all for today, friends.